Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether bereaved families are still entitled to claim compensation under the rules of Directive 2004/80/EC following the UK's departure from the EU.

EU Directive 2004/80/EC provides for EU Member States to have reciprocal compensation schemes for victims of violent crime or other persons affected by such a crime.

Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in December 2020 any such agreements have now ended. The 1983 Council of Europe Convention on compensation for victims of violent crimes (‘the Convention’) remains applicable and has requirements in place for assisting victims of violent crime. Where the crime was committed in an EU Member State, UK victims of violent and bereaved families may be eligible to apply to the compensation scheme in that State, under the Convention.

EU and EEA nationals can continue to apply for compensation in the UK, under the 2012 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, including those not party to the Convention.